Noteworthy Articles

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School announced today at CROI2013 the discovery of the first infant functionally cured of HIV.

The baby, a female now two and a half years old, received 3 HIV medications when brought to the hospital at 30 hours old. Viral load tests were performed during the first few weeks that showed a rapidly decreasing viral load which reached undetchtable levels by day 29. The baby remained on treatment for 18 months when she was then temporarily lost to follow-up. Ten months later no traces of HIV were found in the baby’s blood.

At the 19th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington D.C., the CDC reported that only 1 out of 4 HIV patients in the U.S. have HIV under control, which is defined as complete viral suppression. Warning bells should be ringing in the scientific and HIV advocacy communities. While much progress has been made in the last three decades in the treatment of HIV, tens of thousands of people living with HIV (PLWH) are currently struggling to construct viable treatment regimens or have no options left. With a growing number of patients in need of new treatment options, and new innovative therapeutics in the various early stages of development, a strategy must be developed to move new therapies forward based on merit and not money.

Paige Rawl is 17 and HIV positive, but while her life has been shaped by HIV it isn't ruled by it.

When Paige Rawl starts her senior year at Indianapolis’s Herron High School next month, she'll be cheer captain and a member of the student government and prom committee. This summer, the 17-year-old held down a part-time job at Hollister, hawking the popular Southern California-inspired clothing brand.

The all-American girl — who happens to be HIV positive.

Paige was infected unknowingly at birth by her mother, who wasn’t aware of her own HIV status. Paige's mother got the virus from Paige's father, who she says passed away in 2001 due to an AIDS-related illness.

The HIV community has been abuzz with the August FDA approval of what had been termed “the Quad”, the second one-pill-once-a-day combination antiretroviral drug. Marketed by Gilead under the name Stribild, the drug contains two NRTIs (tenofovir and emtricitabine), an integrase inhibitor (elvitegravir) and an integrase booster (cobicistat) and is approved for use in treatment naïve patients with either drug resistant or wild type virus. In comparison to Atripla, the first one-pill-once-a-day combination antiretroviral medication that has become the most widely used drug in people infected with HIV both in the U.S. and PEPFAR-partner countries, Stribild was found to be non-inferior (of the same or slightly better efficacy) to Atripla and have a “generally acceptable” safety profile. Atripla is two NRTIs (tenofovir and emtricitabine, called Truvada) and an NNRTI (efavirenz). While it’s approval has been highly anticipated by both HIV clinicians and patients, there are several issues that need to be taken into consideration when hailing it as a significant advancement in the treatment of HIV and predicting the effect this new treatment will have on the HIV pandemic.

It’s been an interesting year in the HIV world. Much has happened since last World AIDS Day. Listed below, we highlight the top 6 biggest HIV stories of the year. While much, much more has gone on since last World AIDS Day, our top 6 issues have changed and shaped the field of HIV the most.

In addition to the key occurrences below, 2012 closes out the first year of HIV Haven. We’d like to thank all of our readers for making this is such an amazing year and we hope you continue to visit us throughout the coming years.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) kills the white blood cells of the immune system known as CD4 lymphocytes (type of T cells). If the T-cell count falls below a certain level, HIV can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This is why it is so important to keep up with healthy lifestyle practices that will boost your overall health.

In the current era, managing complications associated with HIV is much more effective than in the past. As long as you work closely with your doctor and follow smart lifestyle habits, you can live a full life with HIV. The following 5 ways to keep healthy with HIV will help you to stay proactive with your health.

Early in the HIV pandemic, the U.S. military recognized HIV as a threat to the health and safety of U.S. and allied troops. In 1985, Congress mandated the U.S. Military Research Program (MHRP). HIV was subsequently recognized as a National Security priority in the President’s National security Strategies of 2002, 2006 and 2010, further justifying the need for this U.S. military clinical research intervention. Twenty seven years after its initiation, the MHRP ranks as one of the most important HIV research programs in the world.

The MHRP plays a key role in the U.S.’s efforts to combat HIV, working in partnership with NIAID, NIH and other federal programs and NGOs. The greatest chance for the development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine will likely be through the combined efforts of the MHRP, NIAID, private biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, NGOs and the federal government.

A metabolite produced during breakdown of a popular anti-viral drug used to treat HIV may be contributing to cognitive impairment in HIV infected individuals. As much as half of HIV infected people will develop some type of neurocognitive impairment that create problems performing common daily activities. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have implicated the drug Efavirenz as a contributing factor. 

Efavirenz is in a class of medications called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).  Efavirenz is a potent HIV inhibitor and is one of the few drugs known to cross the blood-brain barrier targeting potential reservoirs of virus in the brain.  It has long been thought that this ability to potentially target reservoirs of virus in the brain would help alleviate neurocognitive disorders.  

In the study led by Haughey and described online in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, published online